I do not own Kirby and Company. They all belong to Nintendo, Hal Laboratories, 4Kids, and Warpstar Inc.

I also do not own A Christmas Carol. That belongs to Charles Dickens.

Chapter One: Ebenezer Dedede

Once there was a little city in Dreamland known as Cappy Town. Now, Cappy Town wasn't a perfect city in the least, but it was a pleasant little settlement. The people there were, for the most part, very kind and friendly. Even those who tended to be grouchy were occasionally more laid back, especially around holidays, such as Christmas.

There was, however, one individual who everyone in Cappy Town did their best to avoid. His name was Ebenezer Dedede, the town moneylender. Dedede was such a miser that he forgave no one of their debts and worked his poor employees to the bone. Furthermore, Dedede always seemed to be a jerk, and always got grouchier around Christmas. Whenever someone tried to wish him well, they were always rewarded with a sour, "Bah, humbug!" After a while, the people who did not have to deal with Dedede began avoiding him entirely, which was just fine with him.

However, one Christmas Eve, that all was about to change.

A knock had interrupted Dedede's counting of his wealth. He didn't even bother getting up to answer. "Go away!" he yelled.

"It's me, Uncle Dedede!" a cheerful voice called back. "I'll come in to see you!"

Dedede scowled. It was his nephew, Rick. Rick was his sister's son, but often he wondered if there was any sort of relation at all. Most of the time he did his best to avoid his cheery relative.

Rick came in in the same sunny mood he was always in. "Merry Christmas, Uncle Dedede!" the young hamster exclaimed. He was carrying a Christmas wreath with him, which he hung on the door as he entered the shop. "I noticed you didn't have any decorations up, so I took the liberty of getting this wreath. Makes everything seem to brighten up, doesn't it!"

"It looks like a tacky waste of money," Dedede sneered. "You shouldn't waste on such things. You're poor enough as it is. Take it down now and state your business. I don't have any time now for foolishness."

Rick sighed. He believed in the good in everybody and did his best to try to bring it out in people. However, his uncle was a very difficult man and it seemed hopeless at times.

"Well," Rick said as he complied with the demands, "I'm having a party tonight, since it is Christmas Eve, and I was hoping you would attend."

"A Christmas party?" the Pengu asked, contempt clear in his voice. "Bah, humbug! I wouldn't waste my valuable time at such frivolity! You should know that by now!"

"Well, yes, but it's not just that," Rick continued. "It's just that, well, I've met someone. She's a nice girl named Pick, and we're going to be married. I wanted you to meet her, and since she'll be at the party tonight, I thought it would be a good time."

"Love," Dedede scowled. "That's nearly as silly as Christmas. Just something you waste your time and money over. No, I'm not coming tonight, and in the future I'd hope you'd at the very least not waste yours and my time by bothering to ask. Now get out!"

Rick was clearly disappointed, but did as requested. "Alright, Uncle Dedede. Merry Christmas."

However, it wasn't long before there was knock at his door. The Pengu, annoyed that someone else had come to waste his time, went over and opened the door. Outside stood two men whose faces were obscured by the green armor they wore.

"Merry Christmas, good sir," one of them said. "My name is Sword, and this is my companion Blade. We're gathering money for the poor of Cappy Town. We were wondering if you would like to give a donation, especially considering what night it is."

"The poor!" Dedede snapped. "What have the poor ever done for me!?"

"But it's not about what's in it for you," Sword said calmly. "It's what we can do to help others less fortunate than our selves. Please, there are many people out there who won't have a Christmas tomorrow without the aid of others."

"Well, then maybe they should be out looking for jobs rather than lounging about because it's some sort 'a holiday!"

Sword would try one more time. "But sir," he cried, "There are so many out there in desperate need for help! A simple donation could save lives!"

"If they're so poor they can't keep themselves alive, they might as well die and get it over with! You won't see a penny from me! Now get outta my shop!" With that, the Pengu slammed the door on the duo.

Outside, the two sighed. They had expected this sort of thing, but thought it best to ask anyway.

After this interruption, Dedede went back to work. Shortly after, however, there was a timid knock at his door. The Pengu scowled. "Who is it?!" he snapped angrily. "This had better be good!"

Mr. Cratchit entered the room, holding his scarf in his hands. Near by the door, Bandana looked in nervously to observe the conversation. "Well, sir," Mr. Cratchit began, nervousness clear in his voice, "Bandana and I have finished our work for the evening. We are heading home now."

Dedede snorted. "Is that all ya' came to tell me?" he said, clearly displeased with the message. "So long as you get the work done and you're here first thing in the morning, I don't care what ya choose to do."

"Well, sir, that's the issue, you see," Cratchit continued. "You see, tomorrow is Christmas, and the boy and I were wondering if we could stay home."

"Stay home?" Cratchit backed up nervously at the question. Suddenly Dedede laughed. "Of course you can stay home tomorrow! While you're at it, you don't have to come back at all! I'll just find somebody else to fill your position!"

"But sir!" Cratchit cried in horror. "We need this position! We hardly earn enough to support ourselves as it is!"

"Then I'll be seeing ya first thing in the morning," Dedede sneered.

Cratchit bowed his head. "All right then, sir. Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas," Bandana called back as he and his father left the shop.

"Christmas," Dedede scowled under his breath. "Bah, humbug! Just a silly excuse for lazy people to stay away from work." With that, he turned back to observing his wealth.

Dedede once again shook his head at the parting, but forgot about it instantly once he was back to counting his money.

He sighed. This sort of nonsense never happened back when his old partner, Jacob Tokkori, was still alive. That bird seemed to know just how to keep those troubling merry-makers away. He was also brilliant when it came to money making schemes. Sadly, Tokkori had passed on seven years ago. Shame too, as Dedede hadn't be able to find another partner like that again, and had long given up trying to.

When he finally finished his work, the Pengu packed up and returned to his home. It was later in the evening, so most people weren't out and he ran into no one on the way back. He didn't mind one bit. That was how he liked it.

When he reached his home, he reached for the handle when he noticed something. The knocker on the door, which usually resembled a fire lion with the handle in its mouth, had changed. Now it resembled a bird with a cloth tied around his head. The bird looked intently at Dedede with piercing eyes.

Dedede stumbled backwards for a moment and rubbed his eyes before checking back on the knocker. However, this time it had changed back to normal. He chuckled to himself. Just an overactive imagination. That had to be it.

Once inside, Dedede ate his supper and then went to prepare for bed. He was satisfied with his life, even if some people were annoyances. Yes, he had made his money fair and square, and if some people put more stock in silly celebrations, well, he couldn't help it, could he? All he could do was make sure their stupidity didn't affect him!

As he started to drift off a sound startled him into wakefulness. It was a clacking, as if boxes were being dragged. He tried to ignore it at first, but then a voice joined in with the clacking. "Ebenezer Dedede! Hear the warning while there is still time!"

Dedede did recognize the voice, and shot up as soon as he heard. "Where are ya?" he called out. He knew that voice, but he couldn't believe it was really him. "Who are ya, and who do you think you're trying to fool?"

The speaker appeared after that. Sure enough, it was Tokkori, looking just as he did the last time his partner had seen him, when he had died. However, there was one major difference. The bird was wrapped in long chains which had deeds, legers, and keys all along the sides, and at the ends of each chain was a locked money-box. "Ebenezer Dedede, I've come to bring you warning! Repent of your ways! "

The Pengu stared in shock. "Tokkori, is that you? What do you mean?"

Something changed in the ghost of the small bird. "Of course it's me!" he snapped after delivering a swift peck to the head. "Who else would it be?! And it means stop being such a skin-flint jerk!"

"Yep, it's you alright," Dedede grumbled as he rubbed his head. "How'd ya get like that, Tokkori?"

The bird went back to the previous attitude. "Like I was sayin' before, I was sent to give you warning. I made these chains I wear during my life by the selfishness I lived. Each link is a time when I had the responsibility to help someone and purposefully refused to! You have one too, Dedede, and it was as long as mine is when I died, and you've been working at it furiously! Give up your old lifestyle, or else you will end up like me!"

Dedede was eager to end this conversation, and was willing to say whatever it took to make it end. "Of course. Starting next week, I'll see what can be moved over. Within reason of course. Rome wasn't built in a day however."

Tokkori shook his head. "You don't understand. You can't wait for this! This is a change that can't wait! Can't you understand! I didn't know when it was my time, and now look at me! Heed my word, Dedede, you must change your ways soon! Don't lose your time the way I did!"

Dedede was feeling more confident by now. He straightened himself and spoke more confidently to the ghost. "Now, come on, Tokkori. These things can't be done now. Perhaps next week, after several of my transactions are through. Then I can focus on whatever it is you're telling me."

The ghost bird sighed. "You clearly aren't gonna listen to my warning, so hear my prediction. Tonight, at the stroke of one, you will be visited by three spirits. They will give you the same warnings I have. Hopefully they'll be better at knocking some sense into that thick skull of yours." With that, the ghost flew out of the window and vanished.

It took Dedede a moment to process what he had just seen. Certainly, he couldn't have just seen a ghost! Could he?

Eventually, he decided that he must have just eaten something bad and it gave him hallucinations. "Ghosts, bah, humbug!" he snickered. "Just a mixture of those annoyances from this evening and some bad cheese, that's all that was! The real Tokkori wouldn't come speaking such nonsense." With that decision, he turned out the light and went to sleep.

Author's Note: Here is my first attempt at a Christmas special, and the first crossover in this category. This will run for five chapters including this one and hopefully the last chapter will be updated on Christmas Day. The chapters will be shorter and simpler than the chapters in Kirby! Dreamland Chronicles. I hope you enjoy!

P.S. Nothing that happens in this will effect Dreamland Chronicles. This is just my ideas of who would best fill each role.